Antemasque.

Quitate las chancalas, hijos. It's gonna be a long read. Earlier this month I attended a show at the historical music venue, The White Rabbit. The band in play was the new (and revived if you've been watching) Antemasque, with Les Butcherettes in tow. Touted by many as "if At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta had a baby", this new musical endeavor reunites Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez after a heated departure from (and the break up of) The Mars Volta. But that was months behind us and this new group has we ATDI and TMV fans excited for something fresh from the duo. Apparently the duo pulled long-time friend and honorary TMV member, Flea, to complete the record. If you have yet to hear the new concoction, I urge you surf the interwebs and take a listen. The record was available on the new Nadie Sound website for a month before the tour but has since been taken down for some reason. However enough poking around and you'll find it. Antemasque is what so many of us have been waiting for: it's raw, it's energetic, it's matured. It shows us that really talented individuals are capable of damn near reinventing the wheel. The record is fast-paced and the show is a tandem expression of that same energy.

The show had only one opening act and that made me pretty happy. It's so common to have multiple acts on tour as well as a local opener for musicians today and although I appreciate the support national acts give to other bands and local talent, I gotta say it was a refreshing to show up and just get right into it. To my surprise, the White Rabbit was packed like they were giving away tickets and beer for free. It was exciting but also proposed a slight problem--how am I gonna get to the front to snag some great shots? Far be it for me to sound like the old man on the porch, but I've noticed a decline in crowds' energy and increase in saltiness over the past say ten years of concert-going. When I was younger, shows I would attend would be packed ass to ass and you would fight tough for your spot. You would squeeze, push, wedge, and inch your way through anyone that was in your way to gain a better vantage point. If you made it through, you made it through. End of story. You just wanted it more. This was rap shows, metal shows, hip hop, rock--whatever. Today, crowds have gotten soft. It could be a sold out Deftones show filled to the brim ready to give in to the hellish energy that is their live performance and if so much as lean on another person when your near the stage, you're often met with mean mugs, sarcastic remarks, and whining. Lots of whining. This is adults too, not just the teeny boppers (who I imagine didn't sneak out of the house or lie to be there lol). Today, people throw fits, whine, bitch, and moan. And the others around them join in. Nobody pushes forward to a dope spot. Nobody waits outside the venue at 10am to be against the barricade. Nobody moshes anymore. I just don't get it.

Fuccit.

At the time, I hadn't heard any music from Les Butcherettes, but I've seen their name a lot. I'll admit, I didn't "do my job" and research this group, but sometimes I just like going in fresh and just experience the music too. Regardless, I find a decent spot and wait for their entrance. Two ladies came out to greet a small set up of a keyboard-guitar combo and a stage right-facing drum kit. A male bass player made his way to the dark corner and the madness began.

The ladies wore aprons and dresses covered in blood. I knew immediately that this was gonna be special. The group played some amazing music and performed with fantastic energy. Lots of erratic movements and faces that made it all the more maniacal draped in blood. Fucking awesome. I got a few good images of Teri Gender Bender but none of the drummer as the crowd was far too tight at this point. Needless to say, I loved every minute of their set and they succeeded at their purpose as an opener--they got me and everyone else hype as fuck for the main act.

Antemasque at this point had only been around for merely months. I had heard the first tracks they released on the Nadie site and was immediately hooked on the new marriage of their older sounds. I have been waiting to see some form of these two [Cedric and Omar] for many years now and this was no let down. This was to be Antemasque's first stop on the tour and more importantly, their first live performance as this new band. They brought along Omar's brother and Zechs Marquise member Marfred Rodriguez-Lopez on bass and former TMV drummer David Elitch. Performing in such a small space as the White Rabbit made the event so much more fantastic. NOTHING beats watching a really good musician or group of musicians quite like a watching them perform in a hot, close-quarters space amidst a sea of a tight-knit bunch of die-hard people hungry for great music. The folks in attendance ranged from fresh-eared teens thankful this wasn't a school night to long-standing adults lurking for ATDI vibes. During Les Butcherettes' set, I made my way to center stage about three rows back. I imagined how dope my images would be until the trademark fro hit the stage and all hell broke loose. So used to shooting with my old compact, this would my first show shooting with my new (and bulkier) DSLR and it certainly came with it's challenges as the crowd went nuts for damn near every song making it difficult to hold steady. Crowd surfers made their way overhead and some to the stage. It seems those that made it on-stage felt compelled to pat Cedric on the back or wave a big thumbs up in his face mid-song. Mas divertido.

Antemasque plays with that fervor I've seen in all the ATDI videos I've watched. Hard, fast, and loud. Punk rock shit. Cedric was all over the place with his signature dance moves and his voice carried throughout the entire space with extreme presence as the band beat out some of the most amazing music I've heard in this place. David Elitch wrecked shop on those drums as he struggled to catch his breath. This venue is no joke, I've seen performers pass out on-stage. Props, Dave. I certainly learned something that night as well--I definitely need to upgrade this 3.5 for better low-light performance. However if you know me, then you know I make the best of any tool and situation and make it work for me. Adaptation, adaptation, adaptation. Adaptation is one of the most useful skills you can learn and continue to develop throughout your life. I had to pick my shots and watch the people next to me for any and all openings as well as watch my head for any stray surfing feet. I exposed any weaknesses of the crowd to get these shots and had a blast during it all. Seeing a band or musician live is the best as it really shows you how much of what they do is over-polished in the studio and how much of it is just pure soul.

Thank you Cedric and Omar for keeping it real and allowing me to document a straight up piece of your history...the first live performance of Antemasque, ese. Bang.


Stay Creative,
BLUE731.